Treatment of Thallium Poisoning

Bank WJ Thallium, in Experimental and Clinical Neurotoxicology. Edited by Spencer PS, Schaumburg HH. Baltimore, MD, Williams Wilkins, 1980, pp 570-577 

Bedville BL, Spragg GS Report of a case of thallium poisoning treated with thiouracil. Med] Aust 2 222-223, 1956 

Chamberlain PH, Stavinoha WB, Davis H, et al Thallium poisoning. Pediatrics 22 1170-1182, 1958 

Gefel A, Liron M, Hirsch W Chronic thallium poisoning. Isr] Med Sci 6 380-382,1970 

Goetz CG Other metals, in Neurotoxins in Clinical Practice. New York, Medical Scientific Books, 1985, pp 45-62 

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The treatment of thallium poisoning is rather ingenious. It takes three forms diuretics eliminate thallium through increased urine production Prussian blue dye traps thallium excreted into the gut, preventing its reabsorption and potassium chloride supplements displace the thallium that has already been absorbed into the tissues. These measures allowed the unfortunate child from Qatar to make a complete recovery. 

State. When both iron environments contain only iron(II), the resulting salt is not colored (Prussian White). The oxidation state localization in PB has been studied extensively. Structures, electrochemical behavior (electrodes batteries), and uses in medicine (treatment of Cs and of thallium poisoning) of Prussian Blue are mentioned in a review of cyanide complexes. In cobalt-iron Prussian Blue analogues, NaxCo3,Fe(CN)6-zH20 electronic and spin states are controlled by temperature and the ligand field strength around the Co + ions, which in turn is determined by the Co Fe ratio. ... 

Chronic exposure to silver produces a bluish skin discoloration known as argyria. Gold poisoning has resulted from the use of gold salts for treatment of arthritis. Poisoning from antimony, arsenic, bismuth, mercury, and thallium is well known. 

Umwdtkontaminante Angew Botanik 58 3-10. DeGeoot G and VanHeijst ANP (1988) Toxicoki-netic aspects of thallium poisoning. Methods of treatment by toxin elimination. Sci Total Environ 71 411-418. 

In spite of their known toxicity, compounds of thallium have been used in medicine and as cosmetics. Thallium has been used internally in the treatment of gonorrhea, syphilis, dysentery, and tuberculosis and externally as a depilatory. Serious cases of poisoning were recorded, some of which... 

It is controversial as to whether hemoperfusion, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, or forced diuresis is most effective and as to whether any treatment measures are effective in massive thallium poisonings [20,21]. The combination of forced diuresis, hemoperfusion, and hemodialysis can remove up to 40% of absorbed thallium. Aggressive treatment is recommended based on a patient s... 

Thallium, a cumulative poison, is readily absorbed through skin and lungs, as well as the gastrointestinal tract. This element (usually as the sulfate salt) was used for its depilatory effect in the treatment of ringworm of the scalp. It is currently not found in any medications, but is still available in the United States in rodent poisons, and accidental poisoning may occur from contaminated grains and other foods. 

We now know that thallium is extremely toxic and should be handled with great care. In the first 50 years after its discovery, however, thallium was found to be an effective treatment for syphilis, gonorrhea, gout, dysentery, and tuberculosis. Someone should have taken a clue from the location of this element between lead and mercury in the periodic table. Its use as a medicine had many unpleasant—not to mention toxic—side effects such as alopecia, the loss of hair. Later, thallium compounds such as the colorless and odorless TI2SO4 (note that this compound contains thallium in the +1 ojddation state) was used as a rat poison and ant killer, but these and similar uses have been prohibited in many countries due to the high toxicity of thallium. 

Thallium, atomic no. 81 This element is better known for its poisonous properties and links with almost undetected deaths and Agatha Christie -type murder mysteries.2 Thallium compounds are used in some countries as cheap insecticides, particularly for killing cockroaches. Intake of this element causes stomach pains, vomiting and nausea, painful soles and palms of hands, limb weakness, double vision, involuntary eye movements, hallucina tions, characteristic hair loss and white lines across the nails. The symptoms are often mis-diagnosed as other diseases. Treatment is with the chemical Prussian Blue... 

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